E's usually our magnet but my hair always gets splashed so for the rest of the day i look like trash and pics are bad cuz its the 1st ride we go on.

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Yeah on a normal touring day we do it early too. And since we like to go in Jan/Feb its usually ice freakin cold.

I thought both parks called it that,... so i looked it up pretty interesting.. a lil Disney lessonAt Walt Disney World the Rivers of America is similar to its California counterpart.
At Disneyland Paris the Rivers of the Far West is home to Big Thunder Mountain.
At Hong Kong Disneyland, there is no Frontierland, so the Imagineers merged the Rivers of America with the classic Adventureland Jungle Cruise attraction. Jungle river rafts now travel around the Rivers of Adventure, encountering similar situations as in the Jungle Cruise attraction, but on a much more open river and exposed to the elements of Adventureland. In the middle of the Rivers sits Tarzan's Treehouse, which can be reached by River Rafts.
Several steamboat and ship replicas sail the many Rivers.

Ah thanks- very cool, Like that PSA...the more you know! :shootingstar: LMAO!!!

For some reason this made me think of One Man's Dream and your naked pirate cherubs- or were they dwarves? LOL. Did you know they are totally redoing OMD, that would suck if they take out your nekkie lil guys!

It looks so pretty during the day!! We missed our chance to see it like that- we went to Cape May right as we checked in to BCV & then went to the park- I think we got there around 8? Anyway....

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What a bummer we didn't find eachother that night! We'll just have to make up for lost time!!

LOVE your pic w/ Sarah at the Stockade- adorable of BOTH you girls. I hope the crud is improving. I am STILL doing laundry- how about you??

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OH YEAH, there is still a lot to do. Sarah had more than two loads of just her clothes!

And what video??? There is film of our dancing escapade?? Oh, THAT'S gonna be funny!! I am the world's WORST group dancer- as I am sure Savannah will tell you. Even at that dance, which is the easiest one! This is going to be good....

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Yes, and it's so cute!!! I promise you look great! I also have video Sarge doing his lap dance at MQ, the only bummer is that is back to us was for most of it and we couldn't see his bra until he turned around!

The only video I didn't get was the sailaway countdown, I was obviously so excited I didn't realize I hadn't pushed record. I can't believe nobody has that~

By this part of the evening, the party was in full swing and crowds had grown considerably in the seemingly short time we were in Fantasyland. We decided our plan of attack at this point would be to retrace our steps back through Liberty Square, Frontierland and Adventureland hitting all of the ToT stops located there now that they were open, before crossing the hub to Tomorrowland and Toontown. As we entered Liberty Square we could see the parade lineups were already getting thick, so we decided to try and snag a spot to see the first parade.

I saw what looked to be a lone front row spot so I approached and asked if it was taken (of course, it was). But as we moved back into the path I looked across and there was a whole empty rope by Liberty Tree Tavern. We asked the CM if it was OK to stand there- couldn’t imagine why no one had yet! And he said it was indeed a parade viewing area. SCORE! As soon as we settled in the area around us filled fast. We did have to wait quite a while for the parade to start, but for this one it was totally worth it for the front row view. The girls enjoy their front row seat:

Before we knew it the Headless Horseman announced the beginning of the parade:

(VIDEO, click image to play!)

Frontierland/Liberty Square isn’t the best spot for filming the parade or photography since it is so dark. This is a fantastic parade, the pictures don’t really do it justice!

Alice and the Mad Hatter:

The Fab Five (or Four) float:

Pirates ahoy!!

We had the first of our camera battery problems right at this point. Prior to the parade a CM had come up to our area and asked that when Jack Sparrow approaches that we go wild and something special would happen. So I thought maybe he would walk over to us or something. Sure enough right then my batteries went. I changed them frantically but when I looked up the pirates were gone. I asked what Captain Jack did that was special, and apparently he did nothing. He was up at the mast of the second ship float so he wouldn’t have come down or anything. So I guess that whole “special” thing the CM was saying was just to fire us up. Ah…well it worked, I guess!

In any event what turned out to be my favorite part of the parade was next- the grave diggers/graveyard followed by the Haunted Mansion float!
Gravediggers are awesome- you can see the sparks fly at the end! I know the lighting is horrible but I think the way all of the flashes briefly illuminate the diggers makes it all the more spooky!(click to play)

VIDEO (Click image to play)

Being at the front is really cool! It feels like the dancers and entertainers are performing just for you! Sorry ladies, I was not quick enough to snag video of the thrusting Cowboys in their tight pants.
(love this one! Ha ha!)

Here come the “bad” guys!

Pluto and Goofy dole out the treats!

What a wonderful parade! So glad we took the time to watch it! As the crowds slowly dispersed we hit the Firefly Ray’s ToT station in LS, then headed with probably a lot of the crowd to the Haunted Mansion. The wait was only about 5 mins, The ghost sitting outside was quite funny!

After we exited the Haunted Mansion we ran into the “Dead” Dapper Dans and stayed to be serenaded for a couple of songs.

Then I was finally able to meet the first of our cruise meet buddies- Vikki (figmentnnemo) and her friend Jen at the Trading Post. After a quick chat and delivering her lanyards (more on those later), we headed our separate ways to Trick or Treat. Our goal was to hit all the candy stops in Frontierland and Adventureland and then exit out into the hub for Hallowishes. We really had to move to get it done.

As we were going through the Splash Mountain ToT trail, I got a text from my girl Ellen (podsnel). She was also in the hub for Hallowishes and we booked it to get through the Pirates ToT stop and Hakunka Ma-TREAT-a ToT stop and over there to try and meet up with her. We made good time through Adventureland, but try as we might to move our way through the hub to the Rose Garden where she was at, it wasnt to be. Crowds were thigh to thigh thick in the hub and we got about halfway through when the lights went out and Hallowishes started. As disappointed as I was to not make it over to her, we did end up in a great (if crowded) spot for viewing.

Hallowishes was spectacular!

As you can see here, Sarah really enjoyed it!!!

After the fireworks, we continued to try and meet with Ellen and her family but they had moved along by then. Right by the castle though we ran into fellow cruisers Janice and Linda, which was a nice surprise! We didnt expect to see them at MNSSHP! Following that , we moseyed on through Toontown for more treats. We went through the ToT stop at Minnies Country House. I probably should be ashamed to admit that was the first time any of us had ever been inside. (And it will likely be the last as the Fantasyland Project moves forward to suck up Toontown as we know it). After that, with no lines on Barnstormer, we decided to see if Sarah could ride. She was tall enough but we didnt know if they would let her since she wasnt yet 3 (and was easily identifiable as such since we had paid no admission for her, she had no wristband). Luckily we had no issues with them allowing her to board and we were thrilled that she was not scared, but loved the choo-choo! She yelled Yay! Choo-Choo! Yay! throughout!

First roller coaster ride!

Although Sarah would have enjoyed riding Barnstormer over and over, we still had quite a bit of ground to cover. Next stop (or not really a stop) was the Alice and Mad Hatters Trick or Treat Trail.

Along the pathway from Toontown to Tomorrowland there were several candy barrels to stop at and fill our bags, which were now quite full. So full, in fact the handles on my bag and Savannahs bag had broken and we had to double up bags.

Of course when the ToT trail emptied out right at Space Mountain, temptation of the 5 minute line (no line, really) was too much to resist. Both Ron and I took turns riding with the kids. This was the first time we got to experience the new techno/rave meets Dance Fever soundtrack. I, for one, am not a fan. Half the time you couldnt hear it, and when you could for me it just didnt have a futuristic or space feel. I would have much preferred more star tunnel music, even if they had amped that up a bit it would be better than what it is now, but I digress. It is still as great of a ride as ever!

After that, and speaking of raves, we spilled out right into Stitchs Dance Party. At first I didnt want to stop by, but Goofy, Pluto, Stitch and Chip & Dale were out dancing, which is of course an instant kid magnet. Not being immune, mine were drawn right into the force field.

As it turns out though, they had a blast! They danced and hula hooped and generally ran around like banshees. The funniest thing had to be when Brendan tried to give Goofy a high five and got dissed! LOL! (Im sure it was due to Goofys limited peripheral vision) check it out:

VIDEO (click image to play)

Sarah made this Hidden Mickey all on her own and with no prompting from us:

When we could finally drag the kids away from the dance party, we took a spin on the PeopleMover (formerly TTA) and Buzz.

Even more candy!!! The bags are really full at this point!

It was already 10 minutes to midnight! We did manage to succeed at our goal to hit all of the candy stops, of course the parade and fireworks, and we got a whole lot of rides done too. Our feet were aching, our candy bags bulging, and this trip was off to one heck of a start!

Not soon enough, indeed!

Oh but we arent done yet, right after you exit the turnstiles there are more candy barrels! My absolute favorite candy they handed out during MNSSHP was found only here- little Werthers. But they werent hard candies. They were yummy soft caramels and chocolate covered caramels. So delish!
All three kids fell asleep on the way back to the hotel. We collapsed into bed as soon as we arrived back at 1:30 AM because we had a full fun day in Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach the next day!

PS: here is the final candy shot! This is really a lot of candy. Several pounds for sure!!! (And yes, we had eaten quite a bit of it while still in the park!)!

Ok- I think most of the night I must have been steps away from you- when you were meeting Janice I was right in the hub, and I knew you were there, too, but I couldn't find you!! Oh well...we made up for it later, i guess!

Love Savannah's pic dancing- excellent with the hula hoop! And I agree- the Grave Diggers are a huge highlight- I just heard on the podcast that they don't have them in DL's parade. Too bad for them!

Great Hallowishes pics! Sometimes it's good to get stuck, I guess!

Oh, and I wish someone did have a sail away vid- being that we MISSED sailaway, due to our little jaunt to the infirmary at the beginning of the cruise...

Ok, I think you have officially decided it for me. We are going to MNSSHP next year even if DH doesn't want to! It looks like such fun and I KNOW he would love it if he would just give it a chance. We also have a beach day planned for Saturday before our cruise leaves, so I can't wait to see how this day went for you!

I have to admit, I thought of you and your Mickey Tie Dyes today as my girlfriend and I were shopping at Jo Ann Fabric. We almost got the dye to make ours, but opted out since my DS is growing like a weed and I'm not sure what size he will be in by next year.

Thanks for the latest update! I check in every day to see if you, fastpacks or sarge have written any more.

Great update! Your night at MNSSHP looks great! I was wondering the time of your parade pics and pics after, then realized what you wrote, you're lucky that your kids seem to do well, my younger DS gets tired easy and is not fond of fireworks!

Ok- I think most of the night I must have been steps away from you- when you were meeting Janice I was right in the hub, and I knew you were there, too, but I couldn't find you!! Oh well...we made up for it later, i guess!

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Thats for sure!!! Hee hee!

Love Savannah's pic dancing- excellent with the hula hoop! And I agree- the Grave Diggers are a huge highlight- I just heard on the podcast that they don't have them in DL's parade. Too bad for them!

Great Hallowishes pics! Sometimes it's good to get stuck, I guess!

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Ha! Yeah we ended up dead center. But the pic you sent me on my phone seemed to almost have the same perspective so you couldnt have been too far away! So close, but yet so far....

Oh, and I wish someone did have a sail away vid- being that we MISSED sailaway, due to our little jaunt to the infirmary at the beginning of the cruise...

Ok, I think you have officially decided it for me. We are going to MNSSHP next year even if DH doesn't want to! It looks like such fun and I KNOW he would love it if he would just give it a chance. We also have a beach day planned for Saturday before our cruise leaves, so I can't wait to see how this day went for you!

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Well you probably won't be disappointed. We did go to the beach! I've got some great pics!!!

I have to admit, I thought of you and your Mickey Tie Dyes today as my girlfriend and I were shopping at Jo Ann Fabric. We almost got the dye to make ours, but opted out since my DS is growing like a weed and I'm not sure what size he will be in by next year.

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I know what you mean-it's best to wait! I was just looking back at some pics and I can't believe how fast they grow!!!!

Thanks for the latest update! I check in every day to see if you, fastpacks or sarge have written any more.

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Yeah between the three of us- and hopefully Ellen will chime in too when she fininshes the latest Dis Moms epic on the WDW TR boards-it will be almost like you were onboard with all of us!

Great update! Your night at MNSSHP looks great! I was wondering the time of your parade pics and pics after, then realized what you wrote, you're lucky that your kids seem to do well, my younger DS gets tired easy and is not fond of fireworks!

Looking forward to reading more!

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Thanks so much for reading!! Yes, this night things went well. I think because there was so much excitement and so much to see and do that Sarah did not get too overtired (or at least did not realize it) on this night. It did become a problem on the boat, however.

Oh My Goodness!! It looks like you all had so much fun at MNSSHP!! What a great idea to head to Port Canaveral and get settled in before heading back to the party!! And love the kid's suite! What a fun way to begin! Can't wait for more.

Loved your MNSSHP installment .. you all look like you had a fabulous time. I love the grave-diggers and the pirates too. I love the way they do the make-up. Halloween has to be my all time favourite time at the parks as they do it so well. And Hallowishes is stunning. I am so gutted we missed it this year.

Oh My Goodness!! It looks like you all had so much fun at MNSSHP!! What a great idea to head to Port Canaveral and get settled in before heading back to the party!! And love the kid's suite! What a fun way to begin! Can't wait for more.

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It was really a terrific start to the vacation! We were so glad we had already settled in that night too when we got back in the wee hours! Thanks for reading, more to come soon!

Loved your MNSSHP installment .. you all look like you had a fabulous time. I love the grave-diggers and the pirates too. I love the way they do the make-up. Halloween has to be my all time favourite time at the parks as they do it so well. And Hallowishes is stunning. I am so gutted we missed it this year.

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Oh, that's a shame you did not do it this year. I agree, it was wonderful and the park was so lovely. Its hard to feel like Fall in Central FL when it's 90 degrees out but being on Main Street took us right there!

What a great time at MNSSHP! Sounds like you really got your bang for your buck with the rides and candy!

I've never been to Cocoa Beach. Can't wait to hear all about it!

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Yes, I guess we really did make a good value of it after all! I would have liked to see more characters in their costumes, and to have seen the Villains show, but you really need at least 2 nights to do it all. The kids wanted to ride too, of course, so ride we did!!!

Cocoa Beach was lovely! We wished we had more time to spend there. But we have some great pics and did get to spend a little while enjoying the surf sun and sand!

After quite an exhausting day on Thursday, most of us did not awake until well past mid-morning Friday. Ron and the older kids were up first, somehow they managed to even make it to breakfast before it closed (10 AM). They brought back some for me and Sarah, a bagel and cream cheese and two ginormous plate sized Belgian waffles. We did not wake up until around 11:00 or so. It was so nice to sleep in and just get up whenever I felt like it.

While us girls were snoozing, Ron and the kids took a morning swim in the pool. We were pleasantly surprised by the pool at CIS- we werent expecting much but it was actually pretty big, and had a nice Jacuzzi with small waterfall and also a kids splash pool.

Meanwhile Sarah and I were up and getting ready for the day, so after the swim, we were all ready to head out. Our plans for the day werent too fixed. We knew we wanted to go to Cocoa Beach, maybe see some of the Air Show displays, go shop at Ron Jon, and we had to make another stop at Wal-Mart as we had still not found any adhesive magnet strips to use for our door magnets.

We went to Wal-Mart first- this was a different one than we had been at the day before, and ran through a Mickey Ds drive-thru for some frappes. The Air Show practicing was in full force and it was hilarious as we sat in the drive-thru and every time one of us would speak a plane would fly over and we (and they) couldnt hear anything. As we passed over the causeway, docked on one side we could see the Royal Caribbean ship departing that day. On the other were Para-surfers (a combination of Parasailing and Surfing-something that prior to that day I didnt know existed!)

After our quick jaunt to Wally World, where luckily I found the magnet strips I needed, we stopped at tourist mecca Ron Jon Surf Shop for a little shopping. Ron and I had been here many years before in the early 90s and it was even bigger than I remembered!

The kids and their souvenirs- a tiki and congo drum.

Due to our late start, we didnt have as much time to spend the day relaxing as Id have liked. We had a pre-cruise Dis meet at Grills by the port for an early dinner at 3:45. (The time was picked intentionally early for two reasons: one, they wouldnt give reservations past 3:45 and, two we wanted to be there early enough to see the Royal Caribbean ship sail out at 4. )

So, with the day passing quickly, we were going to just walk over to the beach access near Ron Jon (since we had free parking there). But we had a minor issue. Some of our feet were absolutely torn up from the night before. I had worn the most comfortable pair of shoes I own (some really old flip flops) but still had managed to get blisters along the straps. Sarah had new shoes, and even though she had been in the stroller most of the time, her feet were in terrible shape. Savannah was hurting too. So instead of making the couple block trek, we decided to drive to a closer beach access.

Ron had also heard from someone local that there was a big display of the Air Show planes and such at the Cocoa Beach Pier, so we decided to check it out. We didnt know where we were heading but we just drove until we found it, which luckily it wasnt far and we found it without difficulty. There was indeed a huge Air Show display area set up in the parking lot but we were disappointed to see no planes out for viewing. We were lucky to snag a metered parking spot, and even luckier that it still had some time left on it. We added a few quarters, happily dispatched our shoes, and trudged through the thick sand to the beach.

It was a lovely day to chill out. Albeit a tad windy, the sun was out, it was warm, and the surf was up. We wished we had some more time to have spent out there, for sure. Surfboards and Boogie Boards were available for rent right on the beach for a reasonable cost, had we had longer to spend the boys would have rented some for sure.

Watching the air show practice above was fascinating as well. The planes would soar by, and then dip down as if in a free fall only to pull up right above the surface of the ocean. You can see in the picture below how the smoke trails dive down to the water level. Amazing!

We spent a half hour or so enjoying the beach, chasing after Sarah who didnt understand the concept that all of the sand toys and such lying around on the beach werent all hers (a theme to be repeated often in the coming week, unfortunately).

About the beach itself, the sand is soft and plush and the facilities nearby are good (restrooms in the pier available), however the water on the east coast of FL isn't as nice as on the West Coast. Its' greener and more dingy. I've also heard there can be a sharp drop off here but we did not swim so I can't verify that. The surf and waves are what the draw is on the East coast though, for sure!

We then headed up to the pier. It isnt a fishing pier, more of a retail shopping and dining tourist trap. Although again, had we not had kids with us and more time to kill, we would have loved to waste some hours relaxing at the pier tiki bar with some drinks and watching the surfers and planes.

Then, just like that it was already time to head back to the hotel to get cleaned up before heading to the pre-cruise meet at Grills.

Grills Restaurant at the Port:

(as viewed from the Magic the next day!)

We arrived at Grills fashionably late at about 3:50. As we approached the hostess stand we informed them we were with a large party that had the 3:45 reservation and gave them the name of our cruise mate Joanie who had organized the meet. We were met with basically blank stares and a declaration that there was no such reservation, that they dont do reservations. I was pretty sure that Joanie didnt just make everything up, so upon our insistence they checked the book again (if they didnt do reservations, now WHY did they have a book?!?!?!) Then we heard mention of a party of 11. I knew we were supposed to be 18, but one of our group is a family of 7 and they were driving down and were not positive they would make it in time. So the mention of a group of 11 did click for a second with me, but apparently not with them. Then they finally realized they had the book on the wrong day and voila! -they found the reservation which had in fact been changed from 18 to 11. Well now we were halfway to figuring out what was going on. Then another lady joined the conversation and supposedly tried to call the phone number they had for Joanie to inquire when they would be arriving, which they told me was disconnected. So now all the red flags were flying high, I knew something here just wasnt right. Are you sure youre at the right restaurant they asked me? Yes, we were. It was in fact the right date, right time, and the right reservation (of which you guys claimed you dont do), but since they did not make any offer to seat us or anything I waited off to the side frantically scrolling through my PMs on the DIS on my phone looking for the one with Joanies phone number (as it turns out was the only one of many phone numbers exchanged pre-cruise that I forgot to put in my contacts). Meanwhile Ron and the kids decided to walk around the restaurant and deck outside in hopes of if everyone else was there they would spot him.

Then, magically I was approached by Judy (TJBaggott). Wouldnt you know, the entire group was there, they had been for a while. They had been seated and were already enjoying appetizers and drinks. We didnt see them because the foyer/entrance is at a higher level than some parts of the dining room, including down where they were seated. They had in fact seen Ron and the kids milling about outside and wondered what they were up to, but figured maybe we wanted to just check the place out  or that one of us was still in the car or something. So at least 15 minutes later and absolutely no thanks at all to the hostess staff at Grills we had finally met at the meet!

The restaurant was fairly busy for being such an early hour, although the main show is definitely the parade of ships sailing by, and that happened shortly after we were finally able to find our party and get seated.
Bon Voyage to Royal Caribbeans Monarch of the Seas!

We were happy to finally meet two wonderful families, Judys family and Joanie and Sam (sssteele). They were wonderful! What great folks, we really enjoyed getting the opportunity to relax and enjoy everybodys company before the chaos that would be the cruise for us. We were sad (especially Savannah) that our other cruisemate Vickis (mvlimmex) family was still in north GA and did not make it in time for the meet.

Happy DIS Families!

The company was fantastic. The restaurant was very casual and the food was OK, but a bit pricey for what it was. You are definitely paying for the view and atmosphere if you eat here. Our service was very good as well. Food, like I said, decent but pricey. We had an appetizer of cheese sticks and peel & eat shrimp. The cheese sticks were good but in hindsight the peel & eat shrimp was an impulsive purchase that was regrettable since we would have all the free peel & eat shrimp we could eat just the very next day.

For entrées both Ron and I chose grilled fish sandwiches, which were good but not amazing. They were rather small, and were more thick roll than juicy fish. But the flavor was good. Brendan had a HUGE cheeseburger in paradise, and the girls had chicken and cheese stick kids meals respectively. For drinks we all had sodas/tea and Ron had a couple of beers and I had a specialty drink (Lazy Pelican, which was supposed to be more like a fruity martini but tasted more like a margarita). We also got a chocolatey cake dessert which was just OK (the cake was frozen and had an aftertaste). In the end our bill was around $80 which we thought was very pricey at the time. In retrospect with appetizers and drinks, and dessert, we actually did have a lot of food and drink. The company was just the best, though!

The plan afterward was to head over to the Radisson where Joanie and Sam were staying and enjoy the fabulous pool there. Unfortunately they reported that the Radisson resort had become ground zero for a biker cruise departing the next day and that the pool area had literally been swarmed with bikers, some with rather questionable taste in garments and tattoos. (Joanie and Sams favorite was the bald guy with an entire face tattooed on the back of his head so it looked like someone was staring at you if you were behind him.) Instead we just headed back to the CIS to chill at the pool there. The kids had such a blast, and finally really started to get to know eachother.

Fellow cruiser Jonathan (Fastpaks) and his family were also going to meet us at the Radisson, but I texted him the change in plans. They would eventually end up meeting us and Judys family at CIS where we enjoyed talking cruise a bit by the pool and recounting their adventures over the last week (and boy did they have some adventures!!!!)

After night fell, Jonathan, Amy and Adam headed to their hotel (which I hear was also, um interesting) and Judy and I retired inside to do some laundry. I also had some packing adjustments to make, including separating all of the chocolate out of the MNSSHP candy to bring along with us, since it would melt (or freeze, as it turned out) in the van had we left it. I also had to cut out and assemble all of our door magnets for the cruise. I had ran out of time right before we left and had hurriedly just started printing magnet designs willy-nilly, not paying much attention to which ones I had printed and which ones I hadnt. In the end I ran out of ink about halfway through the printing so I did not have nearly as many magnets as I would have liked, nor did I end up having some of the designs I had hoped to have displayed. In any event, cutting them out of cardstock and sticking the magnet strips took a good couple of hours.

When we finally retired for the night well after midnight we were exhausted, but yet, still too excited to sleep. After all the day we had awaited for two years had finally arrived and in just hours we would be sailing away to paradise!

This brings back memories. We ate here on our first trip to Florida in 1992. By the time we were finished it was getting dark and we walked out the end of the fishing pier. We watched a fellow catch a small shark.